10 Anime Studios That Have Gone Defunct

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Despite the anime industry’s current success, not all studios survive. Several major anime production companies have closed down over the years, often due to financial difficulties or controversies. Here at egmr.ru, we’ve created a list of ten of the most significant anime studios that are no longer operating, looking back at their work and what led to their closure.

Studio Gainax

It’s strange, but the closing of Studio Gainax was both a major event in the anime world and surrounded by a lot of disagreement. The studio, famous for hits like *Neon Genesis Evangelion*, *FLCL*, and *Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water*, declared bankruptcy last year. This was complicated by reports of internal issues and the arrest of director Tomohiro Maki on obscenity charges. If you’re interested, you can find Gainax’s original bankruptcy announcement from 2024 here.

Gainax, the company behind many popular anime including *Evangelion*, officially filed for bankruptcy on May 29th, and the court has accepted the filing. Studio Khara has been working with other companies to secure the rights to Gainax’s works, protect the creators, and ensure the continued operation of existing projects through their respective production committees. Despite this effort, and the fact that many former Gainax executives still hold shares, the company’s substantial debt remains unresolved. Currently, Studio Khara is serving as the central hub for all things related to *Evangelion* and future projects within that universe.

3Hz

The anime studio 3Hz was founded in 2013 and is best known for producing two popular series: *Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online* and *The Devil Is a Part-Timer*. Unlike the closure of Studio Gainax, 3Hz shut down quietly, with its operations being taken over by A-1 Pictures. A-1 Pictures is a well-established studio behind major anime like the original *Sword Art Online* and *Solo Leveling*. Fortunately, many of the talented artists from 3Hz joined A-1 Pictures and continue to work on anime projects today.

Studio Manglobe

Studio Manglobe is best remembered for producing the popular anime series *Samurai Champloo*, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who also created *Cowboy Bebop*. Beyond *Samurai Champloo*, Manglobe was also behind well-known anime like *Ergo Proxy, Deadman Wonderland*, and *Gangsta*. Sadly, the studio filed for bankruptcy in 2015 with around $2.36 million in debt. Unlike some studios, Manglobe wasn’t acquired by a larger company, and it remains closed to this day.

Group TAC

Founded in 1968, Group TAC is one of the oldest anime studios, and for many years, it created popular and influential anime. Some of their well-known works include *Baki The Grappler*, *Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie*, *Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble*, and *Black Blood Brothers*, among many others. Unfortunately, Group TAC filed for bankruptcy in 2010, selling all its assets and closing down after a long run. The studio was burdened with over $6 million in debt, which ultimately led to its closure.

Xebec

Xebec was an anime studio that started in 1995 and quickly gained recognition with shows like *Sorcerer Hunters*. Over the years, they produced a variety of popular anime, including *Shaman King, Pokemon Origins, D.N.Angel*, and *Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199*. In 2019, Production I.G. acquired Xebec – the same studio known for anime like *Haikyu!!* and *Kaiju No. 8*. Similar to what happened with Gainax, Production I.G. now owns Xebec’s assets and could potentially revisit those anime series in the future.

Signal.MD

I was really excited when Signal.MD burst onto the scene in 2014, especially when they teamed up with Gainax for *FLCL Progressive* as part of the Toonami lineup! And they didn’t stop there – they followed that up with *Platinum End*, which everyone was anticipating since it came from the creators of *Death Note*. They also did some cool movies like *Cyborg 009: Call of Justice* and *Fate/Grand Order – Divine Realm of the Round Table*. It was a real shock to hear they closed down in June, though. Like what happened with Xebec, they’ve been absorbed by Production I.G., which means there’s a small hope we might see some of their properties revived someday, but nothing’s been announced yet.

Arms Corporation

Founded in 1996, Arms Corporation gained a reputation for producing some of the more intense and mature anime series over its history. They were known for titles like *Elfen Lied, Kite, Mezzo Forte, Saiyuki Reload,* and *Valkyrie Drive*, among others. After shifting away from more adult content in the early 2000s, the company filed for bankruptcy and dissolved in 2020. Unfortunately, Arms Corporation wasn’t able to find a way to continue operating through a merger or acquisition like some other studios have.

Geek Toys Animation Studios

Geek Toys Animation Studios is one of the newer studios on this list, having been founded in 2017. In its short time, it contributed to popular anime series like *Date a Live*, *Plunderer*, and most recently, *Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four!* The studio closed down in 2023 and was integrated into its parent company, Geek Pictures. Geek Pictures frequently collaborates with Toei, the animation studio behind *Dragon Ball* and *One Piece*. With the closing of Geek Toys, many are wondering what will happen to *Date A Live*, and fans hope the series will continue with future anime adaptations.

Topcraft

Topcraft was a Japanese animation studio that created many well-known anime series and films, including classics like *Mazinger Z*, *Gatchaman*, and *Lupin The Third*. They also contributed to popular Western productions such as the animated movie *The Hobbit*, *The Last Unicorn*, and *Thundercats*. Founded in 1972, the studio unfortunately went bankrupt and closed in 1985 – before many current anime fans were even born.

Radix Ace Entertainment

Radix Ace Entertainment started in 2001 as simply “Radix,” but it closed after five years. The studio is best known for its work on popular titles like *Sakura Wars*, *M.D. Geist Death Force*, *Saber Marionette R*, and *Honey x Honey Drops*. Many of its animators later joined a studio called “Seven.” However, the original studio continued operating in 2007 as Radix Mobanimation.

I’m really curious – what anime studio’s closure hit you the hardest? It’s always so sad when one goes away. Let’s chat about it over on the ComicBook Forum – come share your thoughts!

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2025-09-20 22:41